3483. CHICKEN and BACON-STUFFED RAVIOLI in BECHAMEL SAUCE

Ravioli dough
2 cups flour, plus extra for handling and rolling
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup milk

Ravioli filling
1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
1 clove garlic, minced
4 slices of bacon
1/4 cup sherry wine (or chicken broth)
4 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon parsley
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, divided
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 egg
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoons olive oil

Sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Make the filling. Over medium-high heat, fry the bacon until it is crispy. Drain on papertowels and set aside. In the same skillet, add the chicken and brown it. Add the garlic and sherry. Season with bay leaves, thyme, parsley, salt, pepper and breadcrumbs, stirring and cooking until the chicken is cooked through. Remove bay leaves. Pulse together all ingredients (including the bacon) in a food processor including the drippings. Add egg, cream, parmesan and olive oil. Pulse again. Chill before filling the ravioli.

Make the ravioli dough. Combine all dough ingredients, flour, salt, egg and milk. Knead dough over lightly floured surface. Roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a glass, cut circles out of the dough.

Assemble the ravioli. Place about 1 tbsp of filling in the middle of a circle and wet the edges of the dough with water. Place another circle on top and push down edges together. Seal with tines of a fork. Repeat until there are no circles remaining. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.

Make the sauce. Melt butter in a medium pan over medium-low heat. Add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook over medium heating until it turns a light golden sandy color, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat milk in a separate pan until it is just about to boil. Add the hot milk to the butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth. Bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes, sitrring constantly. Season with salt and nutmeg. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.

While the sauce is cooking, boil water in a dutch oven. Place ravioli in boiling water and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring gently to avoid breaking. Remove ravioli with a slotted spoon.

Pour the Bechamel sauce over the ravioli.


bacon recipe source: Celeste's Cooking Creation (@CookingCreation), July 8, 2010

3106. BUTTERNUT SQUASH FARFALLE in a BACON BECHAMEL SAUCE

makes 4-6 servings


 6 cups butternut squash farfalle (or substitute any other pasta), cooked al dente.
1 cup cooked bacon, diced
3 tablespoons bacon fat (rendered from cooked bacon)
3 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
4 basil leaves, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, finely diced
4 cups of milk
2 tablespoons cream cheese
1.5 cups Bergeron or Gouda cheese, finely grated

For bacon bits: Pre-heat oven to 425’F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, and layout 7-10 bacon strips, and place in the oven. Cook for 10 minutes, or until crispy. Remove from the oven, and carefully drain fat—save it for the sauce. Once the bacon strips have cooled, dice them in 1cm pieces.

For the sauce: In a saucepan, sauté mushrooms with 1 tbsp butter, on medium heat until cooked, 5-7 minutes. In a medium saucepan, warm milk, cream cheese, garlic, salt, pepper, and basil over medium-low heat. The longer the garlic and basil sit in the milk, the more flavor you’re sauce will have; make sure you stir it, milk can burn. In a separate saucepan, heat remaining butter and bacon fat over medium heat. Add the flour, and stir until incorporated. Continue cooking until the mixture turns a golden color.

Add the warm milk mixture to the flour mixture, and whisk continually until smooth. To thicken the sauce, bring to a boil, and cook for 7 minutes. While sauce is cooking, cook and drain pasta.

Add Bergeron (or Gouda) cheese, and bacon bits, and mushrooms to the sauce, stir until incorporated, and turn off heat. Sauce is ready when cheese fully melts, 3 minutes. Pour sauce over pasta, garnish, and serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Mădălina Paul, Duhlicious, October 2, 2010

2946. CREAMED WINTER GREENS with BACON BECHAMEL

serves 4-6


4-6 slices bacon, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons minced shallot or onion (optional)
1 bay leaf (optional)
6 black peppercorns (optional)
1 large bunch of winter greens such as kale or beet greens
canola or olive oil or butter, for cooking
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 garlic cloves, minced
pinch red chili flakes
salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large, heavy skillet, cook the bacon until crisp; remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Whisk the flour into the bacon drippings. Whisk in the milk and if you like, the shallot, bay leaf and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, whisking often. Let simmer for a few minutes and then pour it into a bowl to set aside. If you added the flavour bits, you’ll need to pour it through a sieve to get rid of them. Wipe out the pan. Roughly chop the greens, ditching the tough ribs. Heat a drizzle of oil and/or butter in the pan and sauté the onion for 5 minutes, until soft and starting to turn golden. Add the kale (or other greens) and cook until it starts to wilt; add the garlic, béchamel, cream and chili flakes and stir to coat; cover and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the greens are tender. Season with salt and pepper and serve with the bacon scattered on top.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Dinner with Julie, February 25, 2012

2641. GNOCCHI and BACON GRATIN with GARLIC BECHAMEL

yields 2-4 servings


3 slices thick-cut bacon
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 large cloves garlic
17 oz. package gnocchi
salt & pepper, to taste
scant 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 1/2 tablespoons butter

Bring large pot of water to boil. Sprinkle breadcrumbs and butter into small skillet and place on medium heat. Once butter melts, stir breadcrumbs around to moisten completely and brown lightly. Remove from heat and set aside. Once bacon is cooked and crisp, remove from skillet onto paper towels to drain. Leave 1 tablespoon bacon grease in pan and melt in 2 tablespoons butter. Grate in garlic cloves and cook 1 minute. Sprinkle in flour and whisk. Cook 1-2 minutes and then whisk in milk slowly to prevent lumps. Add in salt, pepper and nutmeg and reduce heat to low. Pour gnocchi into boiling water and cook until they start to float, 2-3 minutes. While gnocchi is cooking, crumble cooked bacon. Drain gnocchi and stir into sauce. Add in bacon. Pour entire contents into buttered baking dish and sprinkle with toasted bread crumbs. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes and serve hot.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Lauren's Latest, February 6, 2012

2157. MINI SLIDERS with BACON, PROVOLONE CHEESE SAUCE and CHIPOTLE SALSA

yields more than 8 servings


CHIPOTLE SALSA:
2 tablespoons coriander, ground
5 ancho chilies (deseeded)
2 dried chili peppers (boiled in water until soft)
salt to taste
vinegar to taste

MINI SLIDERS:
2 yellow onions, finely diced
5 1/2 pounds ground flank steak, keep chilled
3 pounds bacon, rendered three-fourths of the way, chilled
5 pounds ground chuck beef
3 pounds ground turkey
1 1/2 packages Ranch powder dressing
3 tablespoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

BUNS:
2 packages buns

CHEESE SAUCE:
Bechamel sauce
1 onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf
1 cup butter
1 cup all purpose flour
2 quarts cold milk
1 quart provolone cheese

CHIPOTLE SALSA:
2 onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cilantro
drizzle of oil
1 can chipotle
2 cans tomatoes
1 quart water
2 tablespoons cumin, ground

CHIPOTLE SALSA: Sauté onions with garlic, cilantro and oil. Add chipotle, tomatoes, and water. Toast cumin with coriander then add to sauce. Toast ancho chilies and add chili peppers. Cook for one hour. Puree in blender and adjust seasoning with salt and vinegar.

MINI SLIDERS: Sauté onions in butter until soft and translucent. Add salt to taste and chill over ice. Mix ingredients together. Form 1 ½-ounce balls to form 3/4-inch-thick patties and grill with cross hatch to desired temperature (medium is ideal).

BUNS: Toast buns.

CHEESE SAUCE: Add béchamel, onion and bay leaf; sauté in butter until translucent. Taste for flour (should not have flour taste). Cook 20 minutes until no color then whisk in cold milk. Cook for 20 to 30 more minutes. Finish with salt, a pinch of nutmeg and a pinch of cayenne. Whisk in provolone cheese.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Jennifer Biesty, Top Chef, Season 4, Episode 3, Bravo

1998. SPIRAL PASTA with MUSHROOMS, BACON and SWEET CORN

2 cups spiral pasta
1 small can mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
100 grams bacon slices
100 grams sweet corn
200 ml Béchamel Sauce
100 ml milk cream
150 grams cheese

Cook pasta in salted water (+/- 10 minutes) and reserve. Fry chopped onion, bacon slices and mushrooms in olive oil. Mix pasta with mushrooms & bacon. Put the mixture in a large oven tray. Add sweet corn, cheese, Béchamel sauce, milk cream and sprinkle with dry oregano leafs (optional). Take it to hot oven (220ºC) for 20 minutes, until the cheese melts well, and it's ready to serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Portuguese Menu, June 20, 2010

1977. ZUCCHINI and BACON THREE CHEESE LASAGNA

makes 4 servings


Béchamel Sauce:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup milk
Pinch of salt, pepper, & freshly grated nutmeg

Lasagna:
1 zucchini, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt & pepper

3 ounces fontina cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
6 slices bacon, cooked and cut into bite sized pieces
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt & pepper

1 cup of your favorite marinara or spaghetti sauce
3 oz smoked mozzarella cheese
4 oven ready (no boil) lasagna noodles

Dice zucchini, add garlic, coat with 1 tbsp olive oil and season with 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper. Roast in an 8×8 baking dish at 400 degrees for 15 mins until soft. Leave oven on at 400, and save the 8×8 dish for the lasagna.

Combine the zucchini, bacon, Parmesan, fontina, egg, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper in a medium bowl to blend. Set aside.

To make the béchamel sauce: Melt 1 tbsp butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk a pinch of salt, pepper, and nutmeg into the béchamel sauce.

Pour the béchamel sauce into the bottom of the 8×8 dish. Top with 2 lasagna noodles, the zucchini mixture, 2 more lasagna noodles, the marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and a little more parmesan cheese to top.

Cover tightly with foil. Bake at 400 until heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Kevin & Amanda, Alabama, July 19, 2010

1584. BACON MACARONI and CHEESE with BECHAMEL SAUCE and CHEDDAR FRENCH FRIED ONION CRUST

makes 15 servings


1 teaspoon. salt
1 lb. elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz. sharp cheddar, shredded
16 oz. Velveeta, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
6 oz (1 can) French’s Cheddar French Fried Onions, crushed
9 strips of bacon

Béchamel Sauce Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk, heated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
5 oz parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter or spray a 3-quart glass or ceramic baking dish with non-stick spray.

To make the Béchamel Sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan and stir in the flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly for 3 minutes. Slowly add the heated milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 4 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat and add salt, pepper, parmesan and Tabasco. Stir until the cheese in melted. Cover and set aside.

Cook the bacon until just crispy and set aside to cool.

Boil a large pot of water, add 1 tsp salt and the macaroni. Cook for approximately 5 minutes until the macaroni is very al dente. Drain the noodles and return to the pot. Immediately add the butter, garlic and Béchamel Sauce. Toss well.

Place 1/3 of the macaroni in the baking dish. Evenly top with 1/3 of the shredded cheddar, 1/3 of the Velveeta and 3 slices of bacon broken into small pieces. Repeat until all noodles, bacon and cheese are in the pan. Top with the crushed french fried onions.

Bake for 35 – 45 minutes or until the top is beginning to brown. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Pamela Lund, ThatPamChick.com, June 8, 2009

1462. WARM EDAM CHEESE SOUFFLE with CRISPY BACON

yields eight servings


Bechamel:
1 1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
5 teaspoons flour
6 egg yolks
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper

Cheese Mixture:
3 ounces Edam cheese
2 ounces butter
3 ounces cream cheese
8 egg whites, whipped
pinch of salt
1/4 pounds small brunoise of bacon

Bring the milk to a boil. In a different pan over a medium heat melt the butter, add the flour and cook without browning until the mixture begins to bubble. Gradually add hot milk whishing constantly. Cook until texture becomes smooth and thick and begins to boil. Let boil for 3 to5 minutes whisking constantly. Remove from heat, place in a bowl. Mix yolks, salt, pepper and cayenne to the mixture.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Prepare souffle ramekin by buttering the edges with softened butter. Sprinkle the finely grated parmesan evenly around the ramekin. Prepare bain marie (water bath) for souffle and heat in oven.

In a bowl melt the cream cheese, butter and edam cheese. Add Bechamel to cheese mixture. With a spatula fold the soft peaked whipped egg whites to mixture.

Dice the Nueske Bacon into small pieces, saute in pan until crisp. Drain excess fast and place on a paper towel.

Fill the prepared ramekin with mixture to the top. Clean the edges of the ramekin of any extra mixture. To bake souffle place the ramekins in the bain marie for 15 minutes until it puffs 1 inch above the ramekin. Take souffle out of the oven to cool. Place a tsp of crispy bacon in the center of the souffle.

Place Ramekin on plate with a quenelle of onion sorbet.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Roland Passot, Food Network

1450. COUSCOUS-STUFFED TOMATOES wrapped in BACON and slow-cooked in BECHAMEL SAUCE

serves 3-4


9 tomatoes
9 rashers of bacon
85 grams mature cheddar cheese
pinch of nutmeg, freshly grated
dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon mustard
salt, and freshly ground pepper

For the Béchamel sauce:
1/2 onions
3 cloves
600 ml milk
50 grams butter
40 grams flour
1 bay leaves
1 teaspoon English mustard
salt, and freshly ground pepper
pinch of nutmeg, freshly grated

For the couscous stuffing:
85 grams couscous
60 grams pine kernels, toasted
2 handfuls of seedless raisins,
1/2 bunch of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/2 bunch of fresh mint, finely chopped
juice of 2 lemons
zest of 1 lemons, grated
8 tablespoons olive oil
pinch of ground cumin

First prepare the Béchamel sauce. Stud the onion half with the cloves. Place it in a pan with the milk and bring to a gentle simmer.

Meanwhile, in a separate, heavy-based saucepan, melt the butter gently, then slowly stir in the flour to form a paste. Cook stirring for about 1 minute over moderate heat, then slowly pour in the hot milk through a sieve, stirring constantly.

Once all the milk has been mixed in, add in the bay leaf and mustard. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper and a pinch of nutmeg and simmer for 20 minutes stirring now and then.

To make the couscous stuffing, soak the couscous according to packet instructions.

In a large bowl, mix the soaked couscous with the pine nuts, raisins, parsley, mint, lemon juice and zest, olive oil and cumin. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, mixing well.

Preheat the oven to 170°C/gas 3.

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add in the tomatoes and blanch for one minute. Drain, cool and peel.

While the tomatoes are cooling, gently fry the bacon on both sides in a dry non-stick frying pan.

Slice a 'lid' off each tomato (reserving the lids) and carefully scoop out the seeds. Stuff each hollowed-out tomato with a little of the couscous mixture.

Top each tomato with a tomato lid and wrap each one with a rasher of bacon, securing the bacon with a cocktail stick.

Mix the Cheddar, nutmeg, Worcestershire sauce and mustard into the béchamel sauce and check the seasoning.

Spoon just enough of the Béchamel sauce into a large ovenproof dish to cover the base. Fill the dish with the bacon-wrapped tomatoes and pour over the remaining Béchamel sauce.

Bake the tomatoes for 40 minutes.

Serve straight from the oven.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Ed Baines, Good Food Live, UK TV Food

1184. SMOKED CHICKEN and BACON LASAGNA

makes 4 servings


2 smoked chicken breast fillets
250 grams bacon
1 large onion
1 jar sun dried tomatoes
1 jar roasted capsicum
2 packets instant lasagna sheets
2 garlic cloves
Bechamel Sauce

Dice the onion and the bacon. Add the garlic and fry together in a little butter and olive oil. Drain on paper towel. Slice up the smoked chicken fillets into thin slices. Slice up the sun dried tomatoes and roasted capsicum into pieces (these may need to be drained on some paper towel also). Don't use the whole jar - just use as much as you need as the flavors are quite strong. Make the Bechamel sauce. Put a little Bechamel sauce in the bottom of the lasagna dish. Place a layer of lasagna sheets. Cover in Bechamel sauce. Place a layer of sliced chicken. Place a layer of lasagna sheets. Cover in Bechamel sauce. Place a layer of the onion, bacon and garlic. Place a layer of lasagna sheets. Cover in Bechamel sauce. Place a layer of tomatoes and capsicum. Place a layer of lasagna sheets. Cover in Bechamel sauce. Top with a mixture of grated tasty and grated parmesan cheese.

This can be cooked immediately at about 180 degrees C for about an hour. You will need to stick a knife in to see whether the lasagna sheets have softened. This can also be pre-made and left in the fridge overnight and then cooked in the oven the next day.


courtesy of: CurlyPops, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

1110. LASAGNA with BACON and BECHAMEL SAUCE

1/2 lb. bacon, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup onion, minced
1/2 cup celery, minced
1 lb. beef, minced
1 (10 oz.) can consomme
1 (5 1/2 oz.) can tomato paste
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 lb. lasagna
1/3 cup Romano cheese, grated
1/2 cup minced carrots
Sliced Mozzarella cheese

MEAT SAUCE: Saute bacon in large saucepan. Remove fat and saute onions, carrots, celery, brown beef with vegetables. Add consomme and tomato paste. Season to taste. Simmer 35 to 40 minutes.

Melt butter in saucepan, add flour, cook 3 minutes. Add milk gradually. Cook until thick, add salt and pepper. Cook lasagna according to directions, cool. Place half the noodles in 9 x 13 inch pan and pour half the meat sauce over them; add cheese; cover with remaining lasagna, sauce, and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.


courtesy of: Cooks.com

674. CHICKEN, BACON and MUSHROOM LASAGNA

1.5 kg chicken
1.25 kg mushrooms
300 grams bacon
1 pack 500gm pre cooked spinach lasagna
parmesan and cheddar cheese

Basic white sauce (Bechamel)
160 grams butter
100 grams sifted flour (plain)
1.7 liters milk
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a heavy base saucepan and gradually add butter over a low heat. Stir to cook the flour a few minutes then slowly add the milk whisking all the time to aviod lumps. Season with a bay leaf S&P and maybe a splash of white wine and chopped parsley. (If you feel like being really decadent, use half milk, half cream in the sauce.)

Cook all the ingredients before combining them with the sauce and pasta. Cover the chicken with foil, cook in the oven with a good splash of white wine, bay leaf, fresh oregano and S&P. (You can add this liquid to your bechemal sauce for extra flavour.) Cook sliced mushrooms in a bit of butter and chopped parsley. Fry bacon till crisp.

To assemble the lasagna, cover the base of your dish with sauce, then a layer of lasagna sheets. Next a layer of chicken, mushrooms and bacon followed again by sauce and cheese. Keep alternating sauce, pasta and chicken layers till the dish is full. Always end with a layer of pasta topped with sauce and extra cheese. Top with chopped parsley. Place dish in the oven at 200deg for 30 min till pasta is cooked through.


courtesy of: Chef David Clarkson, ABC Southwest